All our winners correctly answered the question “When is Merchant Navy Day celebrated?”, which is on September 3rd.

Congratulations to all three, your limited edition First Day Covers are on their way to you now.

]]>http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/2013/11/congratulations-to-the-winners-of-our-stamps-competition/feed/0The Merseyside Maritime Museum is featured on a special edition First Day Cover!http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/2013/10/the-merseyside-maritime-museum-is-featured-on-a-special-edition-first-day-cover/
http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/2013/10/the-merseyside-maritime-museum-is-featured-on-a-special-edition-first-day-cover/#commentsTue, 15 Oct 2013 14:03:33 +0000http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/?p=3271

Those of you unfamiliar with the world of stamps and stamp collecting might be wondering what on earth a First Day Cover is… let’s find out!

A First Day Cover is a specially designed envelope, bearing newly issued postage stamps which are postmarked on the first day that the stamps are available to buy at the Post Office. Every First Day Cover includes three elements – the cover (i.e. the actual envelope), the postmarks and the stamps.

The cover that we are featured on is an Official (or sponsored) Cover. Official Covers are usually defined as covers that are produced by private organisations or cover producers who at the same time sponsor a special handstamp for use on the cover. As you can see in the photo, the handstamp on our Cover is made up from the Merseyside Maritime Museum logo.

Official Covers are usually only produced in very small quantities and can be highly prized collector’s items!

The Royal Mail stamps featured on our Cover commemorate the Merchant Navy and were released on 19 September 2013.

We have 3 copies of this limited-edition First Day Cover to give away! To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this question:

Last week we were delighted to welcome some very special guests to the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Margaret Hayden, wife of the late Phil Hayden, came along to the museum with her son Matt on a surprise visit to see the model of the MV Derbyshire made by Phil. The model is currently on display in our MV Derbyshire – Search for the Truth exhibition.

Phil, a keen model maker in his spare time, got involved with the Derbyshire Families Association after reading about their plight in a shipping magazine.

Margaret and Matt were joined at the museum by Paul Lambert MBE, Chairman of the Derbyshire Family Association, and Dave Ramwell, author of “A Ship Too Far: The Mystery of the Derbyshire.”

Margaret Hayden admiring the model made by her late husband Phil

The Derbyshire was the biggest British merchant ship ever lost at sea. She sunk in the South China Sea during a typhoon on 9 September 1980. 44 people were lost, including 17 from Liverpool.

The Derbyshire story is also about a 20+ year long campaign by the families of those that died to uncover the truth about why the ship sank. The Derbyshire Families Association was set up by relatives shortly after the sinking. Their persistence was instrumental in searching for the wreck and re-opening the investigation into the tragedy which ultimately cleared the crew of any blame. They have since played a crucial role in influencing changes to safety at sea, especially for bulk carriers.

Paul is currently trying to raise funds for a permanent memorial at the Pier Head to honour the 44 lives lost in the tragedy.